Narrative:

Pilot on climb out was issued 10000 ft on initial clearance. I was monitoring all 18 frequencys plus landlines. When pilot read back clearance, he did in non-FAA way of order as well as pilot didn't listen to his clearance because all the responsibility lies on controllers. Pilots should be aware and ask if unsure of clearance. Crj was on climb out and issued 10000 ft, crj was given traffic of BE10 and told to expect higher when clear of traffic. Crj never questioned the traffic call and continued to climb to 15000 ft, although issued 10000 ft. Crj asked question about frequency when I noticed he went through his assigned altitude. I issued a descent clearance to crj and a climb clearance to BE10. Supplemental information from acn 619252: after contacting houston, we received a climb to 15000 ft and a TA from houston saying we had traffic at our 1-2 O'clock position. Radio was a little garbled, but we both heard the 15000 ft. The PNF read back the clearance to houston as, 'aircraft X, cleared to 15000 ft.' I agreed with the altitude and we started a climb. As we were approaching 15000 ft, houston asked us, 'are you still level at 10000 ft?' we replied, 'no, we were passing 11000 ft on the way to 15000 ft.' houston immediately issued a descend immediately to 10000 ft and said something to the effect that 'I didn't give you a climb to 15000 ft.' PF (captain) immediately pushed the nose over to descend to 10000 ft. I think the problem was caused by several factors. Foremost, was the scratchy radio from houston and the radar outage at btr. We also should have waited for an acknowledgement on the altitude readback from houston on the 15000 ft, though normally we don't get an acknowledgement from center when they are busy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 11000 FT NEAR BTR INVOLVING CRJ AND BE10 DUE TO AN UNCHALLENGED, INCORRECT READBACK.

Narrative: PLT ON CLBOUT WAS ISSUED 10000 FT ON INITIAL CLRNC. I WAS MONITORING ALL 18 FREQS PLUS LANDLINES. WHEN PLT READ BACK CLRNC, HE DID IN NON-FAA WAY OF ORDER AS WELL AS PLT DIDN'T LISTEN TO HIS CLRNC BECAUSE ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES ON CTLRS. PLTS SHOULD BE AWARE AND ASK IF UNSURE OF CLRNC. CRJ WAS ON CLBOUT AND ISSUED 10000 FT, CRJ WAS GIVEN TFC OF BE10 AND TOLD TO EXPECT HIGHER WHEN CLR OF TFC. CRJ NEVER QUESTIONED THE TFC CALL AND CONTINUED TO CLB TO 15000 FT, ALTHOUGH ISSUED 10000 FT. CRJ ASKED QUESTION ABOUT FREQ WHEN I NOTICED HE WENT THROUGH HIS ASSIGNED ALT. I ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC TO CRJ AND A CLB CLRNC TO BE10. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 619252: AFTER CONTACTING HOUSTON, WE RECEIVED A CLB TO 15000 FT AND A TA FROM HOUSTON SAYING WE HAD TFC AT OUR 1-2 O'CLOCK POS. RADIO WAS A LITTLE GARBLED, BUT WE BOTH HEARD THE 15000 FT. THE PNF READ BACK THE CLRNC TO HOUSTON AS, 'ACFT X, CLRED TO 15000 FT.' I AGREED WITH THE ALT AND WE STARTED A CLB. AS WE WERE APCHING 15000 FT, HOUSTON ASKED US, 'ARE YOU STILL LEVEL AT 10000 FT?' WE REPLIED, 'NO, WE WERE PASSING 11000 FT ON THE WAY TO 15000 FT.' HOUSTON IMMEDIATELY ISSUED A DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 10000 FT AND SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT 'I DIDN'T GIVE YOU A CLB TO 15000 FT.' PF (CAPT) IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE OVER TO DSND TO 10000 FT. I THINK THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY SEVERAL FACTORS. FOREMOST, WAS THE SCRATCHY RADIO FROM HOUSTON AND THE RADAR OUTAGE AT BTR. WE ALSO SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ON THE ALT READBACK FROM HOUSTON ON THE 15000 FT, THOUGH NORMALLY WE DON'T GET AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM CTR WHEN THEY ARE BUSY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.